Delhi private hospitals may turn back CGHS patients

Many leading private hospitals in Delhi and NCR have threatened to stop admitting patients under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) over late payments and pending dues.Durgesh Nandan Jha | TNN | July 12, 2016, 07:10 IST

New Delhi: New Delhi: Many leading private hospitals in Delhi and NCR have threatened to stop admitting patients under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) over late payments and pending dues.

The hospitals say while the service agreement provides for 70% of payment within five days, the government often takes months to clear the dues which is making the arrangement unsustainable.

Dr Girdhar J Gyani,director general of Association of Health Providers of India (AHPI), told TOI that the government owed more than Rs 150 crore to 30 hospitals in Delhi/NCR alone as on March 31. AHPI had taken up the matter with the PMO, which forwarded the complaint to the health ministry.

Dr Gyani said the private hospitals' association held a meeting with health ministry officials last week but received no commitment on outstanding bills.

"If they don't respond to our plea soon, the member hospitals will be forced to withdraw cashless medical service. CGHS beneficiaries will then have to pay hospital charges and later claim the amount from the government," he added.

"The Max healthcare group, which runs six hospitals in Delhi/NCR, has an outstanding amount of over Rs 40 crore. Medanta Medicity, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute and Delhi Heart and Lung Institute too have bills of two to 10 crores pending," Dr Gyani said.

Dr Vijay Agarwal, secretary, Consortium of Accredited Healthcare Organisations (CAHO), said many big hospitals were either opting out of CGHS empanelment or were making excuses such as unavailability of beds to discourage beneficiaries from getting admitted.

A similar situation had arisen in 2014, when many big hospitals in Delhi had discontinued cashless facility to CGHS patients over late payments and low rates for surgeries.

The Indian Medical Association said it supported the decision of the health providers to withdraw services to CGHS beneficiaries if their dues were not cleared in time. "The empaneled hospitals are already providing quality treatment at less than affordable cost.